Inside Out Pizza Roll
Inside Out Pizza Roll
Chewy, Fudgy Brownies
Chewy, Fudgy Brownies
from The Dessert Bible
4oz unsweetened chocolate
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cups walnuts, in pieces (optional)
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with baking spray.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter in microwave at 50% power for 2 minutes or melt in a saucepan over very low heat. Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Add the melted chocolate mixture and whisk to combine (mixture will thicken considerably). Add all other ingredients and mix together with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. The batter will be very thick and somewhat greasy looking.
3. Scrape batter into baking pan (the batter will hang together like bread dough) and press into place with a spatula. Bake about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. For chewier brownies,
bake an additional 5-10 minutes. Let cool at least 2 hours in a pan before removing, cutting and serving (good luck waiting on that!).
Looking Back at 2009
I know I’ve been pretty scarce with posting these days, but with baby on the way and the early winter darkness, I haven’t been able to get any prime photos of what’s been cooking around here. So, in honor of the year that was, and to confirm to my Oven Lovers that I’m still alive, here are some of my favorite recipes from 2009!
(starting from January.. check out how my photog. skills improve throughout the year!)
Favorite French Onion Soupbest savory flavor. perfect on a cold day.
Dorie’s World Peace Cookies
melt in your mouth. make a double batch.
Homemade Lemon Curd
i make this over and over again. ten times better than the jarred version.
Homemade Spaghetti-O’s
feel like a kid again, only without all the high fructose corn syrup.
Maple Pecan Scones
eat for breakfast, brunch, snack, dessert. hide them.
Snickerdoodle Blondies
great for bake sales, parties, ice cream sundaes. tastes just like the cookie, but better.
Asparagus Gruyere Tart
amazing spring appetizer or main dish with a salad. the asparagus means it’s healthy.
Cheese Danish Braid
i’ve made this again and again at my family’s request. the work is worth it.
King Arthur’s Oatmeal Bread
best sandwich bread. soft and flavorful.
Homemade Pesto Gnocchi
i would eat this every day of my life.
Bite Size Pop Tarts
extreme cuteness factor. fun for kids!
Family Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies
best chocolate chip cookie recipe i’ve found so far.
Mexican Stuffed Poblano Peppers
easy way to spice up a boring week night. great for guests, too!
Roasted Spring Vegetable Salad with Chicken
to. die. for. doesn’t feel like you’re eating salad.
Best Quick Pizza Dough
big lifesaver in my house. pizza anytime!
Soft Pretzels
my search is over. alton brown gets soft pretzels right.
Ham and Green Beans
classic PA dutch meal to fill you up!
Summer Berry Lemonade
sweet and refreshing, make lots.
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Granola Bars
these don’t last long. customizable and easy.
Turkey, Bacon and Pesto Pizza
great flavor combo. lots of yummy protein!
Butternut Squash Risotto
make this, make this now!
Cinnamon Walnut Bundt
i think i ate this whole cake on my own.
Dorie’s Holiday Bundt
holiday crowd pleaser that isn’t all that bad for you. win win.
Hope you enjoyed my little year in review.
Here’s to a great 2010 for everyone!
Martha’s Fresh Pumpkin Pie
So, confession: I’ve never made a pumpkin pie before. Not even a fake one, out of the can. I guess I’ve never really had a reason to, since someone always brings a pumpkin pie to Thanksgiving. This week I finally tried my hand at making one, using a tried and true Martha recipe.
I made the fresh pumpkin puree about a week earlier, so I didn’t have to fiddle with all of that extra work. The basics of this pie are brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs and condensed milk. I was surprised about how little pumpkin there was in this recipe and how soupy the filling was when I poured it in. Not what I expected.
But about an hour (20 minutes longer than Martha suggests.. get on your game, girl!) in the oven and poof! The pie sets up, nice and pumpkin-y and perfect. The color is a little lighter than your usual pie, but that’s on account of the fresh puree. What do they do to that canned stuff to make it so much darker?
Overall, my pumpkin pie making experience was successful. The only thing I’d say about the pie is that it could use some more spice. I think I’d double what she’s got in there next time.
Happy Thanksgiving- make sure to eat lots of pie.
Find Martha’s recipe here.
(I’d suggest keeping it in the oven an extra 15-20 minutes until it sets up, and also upping the spices.)
TWD: Holiday Bundt Cake
My bundt pan got a workout this weekend!
This one’s a TWD pick from Britin of The Nitty Britty – Dorie’s All-In-One Holiday Bundt Cake. It’s called “all-in-one” because it’s got some of the best holiday flavors- pumpkin, cranberry, apple, pecans, maple- all rolled up into one cake.
I wasn’t expecting this to be that good (no offense, Dorie, love you!), but it was really tasty. It was moist, which is key for me with cakes, and just sweet enough that you could eat 1/2 of it without really noticing. I took it to a church gathering and got great reviews, even from the kids! That’s saying something. The hubs was also a huge fan, but prefers to call it “butt cake” because it gives me the giggles.
If you’re thinking about making this, do it. With the pumpkin (I used fresh-made puree), cranberries, and apples, it’s basically a health-food. I’d like to think I’m exposing the baby to new fruits and vegetables and expanding his horizons already. Can’t argue with that.
I’m hoping to get to that crazy Chestnut cake next week, but I make no promises. Hubs is having a birthday and we’ll be doing some Turkey Day traveling, so I may not have the time to go on a mad search for chestnuts around town. We’ll see!
*Tuesdays with Dorie is a group of bloggers baking through Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours.
Cinnamon Walnut Bundt
If you’ve been reading Oven Love for any period of time (especially in the last few weeks), you’ll know that I’ve developed a crush on streusel. It seems like every recipe I want to make has some kind of streusel or crumb involved these days. So, naturally, my bundt choice included some nice crunchy streusel layers. Say hello to the Cinnamon Walnut Bundt!
Yum. Just look at that glaze dripping down.. this cake is staring me down every time I walk into the kitchen! It’s fairly easy to prepare and you’re likely to have all the ingredients in your pantry. Perfect with a cup of tea, or for breakfast, or with coffee, or for no reason at all but to eat another slice of it. It is on the sweeter side, though.. so pace yourself.
(based on recipe from McCormick)
Streusel Topping:
1 cup flour
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tbs cinnamon
1 stick cold butter, cut into chunks
1 cup chopped walnuts
Cake:
1 stick plus 2 tbs butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1 tbs vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
2. For the Cake, beat softened butter, granulated sugar and sour cream in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Gradually beat in flour and baking soda on low speed until well mixed.
3. Spoon 1/2 of the Streusel Topping into greased and floured 12-cup Bundt pan. Spoon 1/2 of the batter over top. Repeat layers.
4. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar or drizzle with Vanilla Glaze, if desired.
Vanilla Glaze: Mix 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons water and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in medium bowl until smooth. If necessary, stir in 1 to 3 additional teaspoons water until glaze is of desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake. Let stand until glaze is set.
TWD: Cran-Apple Crisp
The original recipe is for eight little apple and cranberry crisps, but I decided to make it even easier on myself and make one big crisp. I’m a total fan of crumb topping (see Streusel Apple Pie from last week), and this one is extra pleasing with the addition of oats, spices and sweetened coconut.
In addition to apples and fresh cranberries, the recipe also calls for dried cranberries or golden raisins as part of the dish. I had some dried cherries on hand, so I subbed those in for the dried fruit instead. Paired with the fresh cranberries, the cherries give the crisp a nice, tart bite every once in a while- a nice compliment to the sweet apples.
Did I mention how much I love the crumb topping? I really love it. No real problems with this recipe, just a little juicy overflow in the oven and some extra juice at the bottom of the pan, but that’s alright with me. I think I’d eat my own hand if it was covered in this crumb topping.
*Tuesdays with Dorie is a group of bloggers baking through Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours.
Tuesdays With Dorie: Sugar-Topped Molasses Cookies
If you follow any other TWDers*, you might notice that we’re not all posting the same recipe today. Our November recipes are Chocolate Caramel Chestnut Cake, Cran-Apple Crisps, Sugar-Topped Molasses Cookies and All-in-One Holiday Bundt Cake. Since it’s a holiday month, we have the liberty of choosing which recipe we want to post each week. I went with the cookies first, chosen by Pamela of Cookies with Boys.
The primary flavors in this recipe are molasses, brown sugar and spices like ginger and cinnamon, making this a great fall and winter cookie. I am usually a chewy cookie person, so I made sure to take the cookies out at 12-13 minutes so they didn’t harden up on me. The cookies turned out just the way I like them.. so chewy and satisfying.
The recipe makes 24 large round cookies, but I saved half the dough for later, since it’s always good to have a stash of cookie dough ready-made during the holidays. These cookies won’t be the flashiest on your holiday tray, but they definitely deliver.
I’m looking forward to getting to all of the TWD recipes this month. I’m thinking Cran-Apple Crisps for next week, but who knows? I might mix it up!
**Pamela will post the recipe for Dorie’s Sugar-Topped Molasses Cookies here on November 17.
Streusel Apple Pie
I chose to use a recipe with crumb topping for two reasons: my love for crumb topping and the fact that I had only one pie crust in the fridge. Usually I would just search online for a good recipe, but I remembered my vast stash of collected recipes and knew I must have saved an apple pie recipe somewhere along the way. And so I stumbled upon this recipe for Streusel Apple Pie from Carole Bloom’s The Essential Baker. Definitely a great baking anthology to browse through- and you can see most of it on this Google preview (except this recipe, of course).
Truthfully, I was a little apprehensive making this recipe. Normally, baking is baking to me, but I’ve got so accustomed to making cake all day that I got a little nervous making pie. Luckily, I made it through unscathed and the pie came out well. I loved Carole’s crumb topping- the best part in my opinion.
We scarfed this pie down with friends, so no pretty slice photos! It would be excellent with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream. Or Cool Whip, because let’s be honest- somehow that stuff just satisfies. Now go pick some apples and try this pie!
from Carole Bloom’s The Essential Baker
*Note: Carole’s original recipe includes instructions for a pie crust, but I won’t include those, as I (cheated and) used a pre-made crust and I’m sure many of you have a favorite pie crust anyways. So the recipe below is abridged.
Pie Crust
1 recipe pie dough (enough for one 9-inch crust)
1 extra large egg, at room temp
2 tsp water
Press pie dough into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim edges and crimp the sides. Transfer the pie pan to a baking sheet and chill in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. This helps prevent the pie dough from shrinking as it bakes and sets the butter to ensure flakiness.
Using a fork, lightly beat egg with water in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze over the inside of the pie shell. This will help prevent the shell from becoming soggy from the juice the apples release as they bake.
Apple Filling
2 lb tart apples, such as Granny Smith or Pippin (6-7 medium)
1/2 c sour cream
2 tbs all-purpose flour
1/4 c firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Using a vegetable peeler, peel the apples. Use a sharp knife to cut the apples into quarters and remove the core. Slice the apples lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place the sliced apples in a large bowl and toss with sour cream. Add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the apples and sour cream and toss together lightly to distribute evenly.
Transfer the filling to the pie shell.
Streusel Topping
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
5 tbs unsalted butter, chilled
Evenly sprinkle the topping over the apples in the baking pan. Place the pie pan on a baking sheet.
Bake the pie for 45-50 minutes, until the topping is light golden and the apples are tender. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool.
Butternut Squash Risotto
I had such good intentions to make the Sweet Potato Biscuits for TWD yesterday. But then I didn’t have any sweet potatoes, so I was going to use pumpkin. Then I just got lazy. But I did have butternut squash, so I decided to make risotto and forgot all about the biscuits! Blame it on the preggy brain.
I based my risotto off of a Martha Stewart recipe, but added more cheese! I love risotto, and have been craving it for a few days.. so it had to happen. It’s a nice vegetarian option for a meal- very filling, and very easy, as long as you don’t mind standing at the stove for a little while. You know how it goes with risotto- a little more work, but it’s worth it!
The baby liked this one, so will you! 😉
-based on a Martha Stewart recipe
serves 4
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth, mixed with 1/2 cup water and heated
1/2 cup grated Fontina cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, plus more for garnish
- In a medium heavy-bottom saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add squash; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until edges soften, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add rice; stir to coat. Add wine; cook until almost all liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low; add 1/2 cup hot broth mixture. Cook, stirring, until almost all liquid is absorbed. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until liquid is absorbed before adding more, 35 to 40 minutes total.
- Stir in Fontina, Parmesan, sage, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Serve immediately, garnished with more Parmesan and sage, if desired.
